Imitation-fire



H. BERRY.

IMITATION. FIRE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov.23,

Patented Apr. 13, 1920e l fm HERBERT HENRY BERRY, oELoNDoN, ENGLAND.

IMITATION-FIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

Application filed November 2.3, 1917. Serial No. 203,648.

To all 'Lo/1.0m t may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT HENRY BERRY, a citizen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and resident of the Switch House, 86 Newman street, London, W., England, have invented -certain new and useful Improvements in Imitation- Fires, of which the following is a speclication, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention; relates to electric and gas ires of that hind in Which one or more lamps or burners are fitted behind a screen or cover'formed of transparent and opaque materials and in some forms of which the heat from the lsaid lamps or burners is employed to rotate devices which produce a iiicker effect as viewed from the front of the fire.

It is -important that the fuel z'. e., the transparent and opaque material shall represent coal or coke in'as realistic a manner as possible, and for that purpose I employ blocks of glass in combination with blocks of opaque material, which may be coal or coke or the like and mount the said blocks of glass and the opaque material upon a guard or frame which is placed over the lamps or burners in such a manner that the light therefrom will be seen throu h the blocks of glass. The said blocks o glass, and if desired the opaque material, may be secured to the guard or frame so that they may be moved therewith, or they may simply be assembled thereon in any convenient manner.

The blocks of glass may be colored and they, and also the opaque material may be provided with reflecting surfaces, say pieces of tinsel or other material, or coatings which will enhance the fire effect.

A preferred form of the blocks of glass is obtained by breaking up ordinary lass skimmings, that is to say skimmings rom furnaces in which glass is ordinarily made, and which in a general way is commercially al waste product. These skimmings are often only partly crystallized and variously colored, so that they are partly clear and partly semi-transparent in which condition, by a selection of pieces I obtain material, which with a light behind it has very much the appearance of glowing coal or coke.

The frame which supports the fuel may also carry the lamp or burner ittings,'-

so that the whole of the fire may be moved as a unit and taken from one fireplace to another. f

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a sectional view of'one form ofmy invention as applied to an ordinary fireplace.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a like f1tment and Fig. 3 is an illustration of the invention as carried out in brazier form.

Referring lto Figs. l and 2 the invention herein illustrated, comprises a portable frame 1 over the front of which blocks of colored glass 2 and blocks of coal 3 are placed. Within this frame, two electric lamps 4 are fitted so that the heated air rising therefrom will rotate fans 5 which carry depending strips 6. The light from these lamps is thrown 'outwardly through the blocks 2 and is given a flickering effect by the rotation of the fan 5 and its strips 6. The drawing shows one lamp only, the other being directly behind it, and because the fans are set so as to rotatein opposite directions, the flickers are made in two directions and as seen from the front are thoroughly intermingled, This intermingling effect is enhanced by the mirrors 7. An electric heater 8 is hung upon the front bars 9 of the stove.

Referring to Fig. 3 the brazier 10 contains wire frame l1 supporting the colored glass and the coal blocks as in Figs. 1 and 2. In this case, the two lamps 12 and 13 with their oppositely rotating `fans 14 and 15 are clearly seen. Mirrors 16' are also employed here and an electric heat radiator 17 encircles the brazier as shown. This radiator may be of any suitable kind-such as the usual wire resistance commonly used for electric radiators.

Either or both the blocks of glass and the opaque material may be treated in any way to improve the effect, such for eX- ample as by partly covering them with fine material for example, coal dust or coke' dust.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In imitation fires, a supporting frame, blocks of fuel supported by the said frame, and illuminating element within the frame and protected thereby, and diagonally disposed mirrors carried by the said frame to reflect the illumination through the fuel blocks.

2. In imitation fires, a frame, fuel blocks supported thereby, an illuminating member supported within the frame, and a reflecting device extending diagonally of a lower oorner of the frame for reieoting light through 10 mally operated fans between said lights andA support, said fans being adapted to rotate in opposite directions, so that the fliokers are thoroughly intermingledand mirrors for enhancing the intermingling effect.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set 1154 my hand in presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT HENRY BERRY;v Witnesses:

DOROTHY MCATAMNEY, HENRY FAIRBROTHER. 

